The Minnesota Vikings have the chance to fill one of their biggest needs before training camp by adding a recently released Denver Broncos wide receiver Phillip Dorsett.
Dorsett, who was let go on May 12, was the No. 29 pick in 2015 and could be the ideal No. 3 wide receiver to replace K.J. Osborn, who joined the New England Patriots earlier this year.
Dorsett, who was a track star in college, is 5-foot-10, 192 pounds, and ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash, making him a potential deep threat and dynamic slot receiver.
He can challenge teams vertically both inside and outside, and he has the potential to make big plays after catching the ball as a slot receiver, pre-draft scouting profile reads.
ESPN’s Aaron Schatz identified slot wide receiver as the Vikings’ biggest need as they head into training camp.
“Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison are great on the outside, but the Vikings' receiving group lacks depth after those two. Brandon Powell is expected to be the starting slot receiver. In 2023, he had an average DVOA on 44 targets, but his 324 receiving yards were his highest in six years in the league. Trent Sherfield caught only 11 passes in Buffalo last season. Jalen Nailor has only caught 12 passes in two years with Minnesota,
Although Dorsett, 31, did not make a catch in the 2023 season, he could come to camp on a veteran minimum contract and prove his value.
The Vikings could benefit from Phillip Dorsett’s Experience
GettyLas Vegas Raiders WR Phillip Dorsett.
Since leaving the Indianapolis Colts in 2018, Dorsett has been moving between different teams in the league hoping for his next opportunity.
He’s played for the Patriots, Jacksonville Jaguars, Seattle Seahawks, Houston Texans, Las Vegas Raiders and Broncos, mostly as a player on the practice squad bubble.
However, he has accumulated 151 receptions for 2,001 yards and 12 touchdowns in 94 career games and 20 starts. He also won a Super Bowl with the Patriots in 2018, catching touchdowns in two of the Patriots’ playoff wins.
Dorsett has never been a high-volume producer in the NFL, but he has played in six playoff games and has shown an ability to make plays under pressure.
The Vikings also don't need a lot of production from their third wide receiver, who would essentially be the fourth option in the passing game behind T.J. Hockenson‘s role.
At the very least, Dorsett is worth considering this summer.
Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell Impressed by 2nd-Year WRs Thayer Thomas, Malik Knowles
Images Courtesy of the Minnesota VikingsVikings wide receiver Thayer Thomas
The Vikings began rookie minicamps last Friday, and even though it's just rookie minicamps, there were several young players that head coach Kevin O’Connell was impressed by.
Second-year receivers Thayer Thomas and Malik Knowles were two of five players who were not rookies practicing last week and earned high praise for how far they’ve come since being 2023 undrafted rookie free agents.
“I was teasing [Thomas] because we are exactly one year from the first time we practiced on the field with him – just the progress and the change in thinking that he has now and being a calming presence out there,” O’Connell said on May 10, per Vikings.com. “Malik Knowles is a player we were really enthusiastic about and knew that he would likely have a year off due to the injury he had in the Bowl game – and he gets, whatever it’s going to be, 15, 20, 25 extra opportunities before we practice with the main group in a few days, and I think that’s exciting.”
The Vikings currently have 13 wide receivers on the roster in mid-May. Last year, six receivers made the final 53-man roster, creating plenty of competition for those final roster spots in the summer.
